Russia preparing a ‘loyalty agreement’ for foreigners to stop policy criticism – Times of India

Russia’s interior ministry has prepared draft legislation that would force foreigners to sign a “loyalty agreement” forbidding them from criticising official policy, discrediting Soviet military history, or contravening traditional family values. Since President Putin ordered troops into Ukraine, Russia has introduced a slew of laws that outlaw discrediting the military, and courts have handed down long sentences to opposition activists.
The TASS state news agency reported Wednesday that a foreigner entering Russia would be prohibited from “interfering with the activities of public authorities of the Russian Federation, discrediting in any form the foreign and domestic state policy of the Russian Federation, public authorities and their officials”. The agreement would include clauses about morality, family, “propaganda about non-traditional sexual relations” and history. Foreigners would be barred from “distorting the historical truth about the feat of the Soviet people in the defence of the Fatherland and its contribution to the victory over fascism”. It is not clear who the ‘agreement’ would apply to or what the punishment would be.
Kyrgyzstan moves to rid national flag of likeness to ‘fickle’ sunflower:
Kyrgyzstan’s parliament voted on Wednesday to tweak the design of the national flag after critics, including President Sadyr Japarov, said its central element looked like a sunflower which in the local culture symbolises fickleness and servility. The nation’s flag depicts a yellow sun – which doubles as the pinnacle of a traditional Kyrgyz yurt tent – with 40 rays on a red background.